I was confused on multiple fronts. First,…

I was confused on multiple fronts. First, she looked like a #Navajo woman I had seen in the desert of New Mexico not long before; the resemblance – not simply in look, but also affect and ornamentation – was uncanny. To add to my confusion, I was pretty sure she said she was from Kham, in the foothills of the #Hengduan Mountains. That was at least 1,300 miles from our current location at the foot of Mount #Kailash, a huge distance made more remarkable by the fact that she was a #drokpa, or #Tibetan #nomad, and had walked the entire way to make her sacred #kora, or #circumambulation, of the mountain. The journey took her a month to complete, walking every step of the way. She said she came not only because the kora is auspicious and important to make in one’s life, but also because she heard the mountains are changing. Indeed, they are: the mountains around Kailash are seeing rapid glacial recession, threatening the major rivers (#Indus, #Brahmaputra, #Karnali, #Sutlej) that flow from there, but also the health of the sprawling grasslands which are the hallmark of the #Tibetan Plateau, and the cornerstone of the drokpa way of life. How can it be that this woman – perhaps one of the smallest contributors to global warming – will be one of the hardest hit? Let’s ensure she and other #mountain people have voices at #COP21 in #Paris. Sign the petition in my profile, and help tell the world that #MountainsMatter! #UNFCCC @unitednations #cop21paris #liveyouradventure #climatechangeisreal #facesofclimatechange #mountainfacesofclimatechange @climatereality @welovemountains #mountainpartnership #portraitmood #china